Rangers Game 5 tracking

So the Rangers trail Washington 3-1 in the first round. And that loss in Game 4 was one of the worst defeats I have seen any of my teams suffer. Blowing a 3-0 lead in the third period at home and losing in overtime. But it is a new day.

This worked against the Devils so I will try it again. The Rangers head to Washington DC with their season on the verge of ending. I will blog the game as it unfolds.

2:23: One fan with "Can You Hear Me Now" card. How creative...

2:26: Well, I'm not encouraged. Boyle, Avery, and Prust had a great first shift and in the four minutes since the Caps have peppered Hank with shots.

2:29: Rangers have blocked seven shots in the first six minutes. In other words, they are not controlling the puck.

2:30: A fucking bullshit power play. The Capital was falling when McCabe grabbed him. And then they score when there should have been goalie interference. I'm done. Absolutely done.

Heart Attack-Rangers style

The New York Rangers are clinging to their playoff lives. Not too long ago, they were seven points up on a playoff spot. But Buffalo and Carolina kept winning while the Rangers lost Ryan Callahan and played like horseshit in a 3-0 loss at home to the stinky Atlanta Thrashers.

Here's the bottom line. The Rangers are about to face off against the New Jersey Devils in just a matter of minutes. The Carolina Hurricanes take on Tampa Bay at home tonight. The Rangers and Canes are tied in the standings with 91 points. Carolina owns the tiebreaker so the Rangers need to gain a point. If they lose in regulation, they are done. If they only gain one point, Carolina must lose in regulation. If they win, Tampa HAS to be beat Carolina.

I do not feel good about these odds. Missing the playoffs would be an absolute disgrace. Not because the Rangers are so talented, they're not. And they work hard most of the time. But their goal scoring is so inconsistent. Six goals in one game, three goals over the next three games. They should be better than Tampa, better than Buffalo, maybe better than Montreal. And they can beat any team in this fucking league, they have proved that time after time.

I am happy Chris Drury is back from knee surgery, though I don't see why Erik Christensen is playing and Sean Avery is scratched. Isn't his energy what this team needs against the Devils and their goalie? As for Matt Gilroy playing over Steve Eminger, whatever. Both will be history after this season anyway.

11:40: Faceoff time. This crowd better bring it today. Not to mention the players.

11:43: 1-0 New Jersey. Kovalchuck. Unfuckingbelievable 11:45: Drury ties it! His first shift back and it's his first goal of the season! Holy crap! The Maaaaaaa-rty chants are deafening.

11:52 Pretty back and forth now and I love that crowd.

11:56 Halfway through the first period. I like this defense working in the offensive zone. The forecheck is working well. Against that young Jersey defense, the Rangers need to impose their will. Hits count: Rangers 10, Devils 2

12:08 Brodeur robs Fedotenko. Boyle is really palying hard. He will get a significant raise next season. No penalties to this point. Three minutes left.

12:11 That no good motherfucker Kovalchuk again. 2-1.

12:36: Well, I had to restart the computer and missed Wolski tie the score at 2-2. Grab that lead!

12:38: First penalty, coincidental minors, 4-on-4. Watching Kovalchuk close.

12:46: Rangers continue to block shots, Boyle with a sliding block. Both teams playing with a lot of physicality. Neither seems be able to get the edge over another.

12:49: Ryan McDonagh! His first career goal over Marty's shoulder. It's 3-2 Rangers!

12:55: Rangers continue to press hard on the Devils. They really seem on the verge of taking this game over.

12:59: The Prust is a must! 4-2! Now the Devils are trying to goad the Rangers. The Devils are hitting, trying to get the Rangers to retaliate. The Rangers have not been short handed today and the refs don't seem eager to blow the whistle. I have a good feeling about this game. The one later tonight...

1:05: The second period is over. 20 minutes remaining. The Rangers have continue to play assertive hockey and not let the Devils control possession.

1:33: No real action in this period and that's probably good. Six minutes down.

1:37: 5 shots on goal over the first 9 minutes between both teams. Still no power plays at all.

1:40: On a 2-on-1, Anisimov finds Prospal, who deposits the puck over Marty's right shoulder into the net. 5-2, nine minutes left. You can put this in the books! 1:43: Rangers fans start a "Let's Go Lightning!" chant. Awesome!

1:49: Another TV timeout. Four minutes and counting... 1:53: Two minutes to go...Drury still out there skating.

1:55: And it's a 5-2 final. They did their job today. Time for the Blueshirt Off Our Backs ceremony.

Carolina has won 8 of 10 and one of those losses was in overtime to Buffalo, of all teams. For the next seven hours, I am the biggest Tampa Bay Lightning fan in the state of Illinois, maybe in the entire Central time zone! For everyone I will see at Game Night tonight, forgive me if I am totally distracted the entire time...

Rediscovering Keith Whitley

Turn Me To Love
A Hard Act To Follow
I Think I Want My Rib Back
Miami, My Amy
Ten Feet Away
Homecoming '63
Hard Livin'
Would These Arms Be In Your Way?
Some Old Side Road
I Wonder Where You Are Tonight
Don't Close Your Eyes
When You Say Nothing At All
I'm No Stranger To The Rain
Lucky Dog
I Never Go Around Mirrors
It's All Coming Back To Me Now
I Wonder Do You Think of Me
A Day In the Life Of a Fool
It Ain't Nothin'
I'm Over You
Till a Tear Becomes a Rose
Between An Old Memory and Me
Brotherly Love Kentucky Bluebird
That's Where I Want To Take Our Love
Going Home

Thanks for the great music Keith. Country music could sure use one like you now. Yet, there were very few like you, before or since. 1955-1989

Mets season preview-Part 2

Catchers
I like that Josh Thole, a solid left-handed contact hitter, will get the bulk of the playing time. Don't know much about his defense though. I liked Ronny Paulino as this year's Henry Blanco, a right-handed platoon, except this guy seems to always have some kind of issue. Whether it's his visa keeping him out of Florida or stomach pains or blood issues. I'm sure he'll get in there eventually.

Infielders
Ike Davis is a young first baseman and has the most raw power of anyone on the team. He plays excellent defense too, the one thing I need to see from him is at least a .265 average. He struck out way too many times last season and that can't keep going on.
After a 4-way battle that kept dragging on, Rule 5 acquisition Brad Eamus is the starting second baseman over Justin Turner, Luis Hernandez, and thankfully, Luis Castillo. Like Thole, Eamus is a patient hitter who focuses on getting on-base. I like the change in philosophy. Because there have been too many times over the last few years I would see these all-or-nothing strikeout-prone free swingers in the Met lineup. Fernando Tatis, Damion Easley, Ramon Castro, and Jeff Francoeur all come to mind.
Jose Reyes is one of my favorite Mets, but I am all but resigned that this will be his last season in Flushing. His contract expires this year and he will reportedly seek Carl Crawford-type money, around $100 million. The Mets simply cannot afford that kind of contract.
David Wright, the face of the franchise. I think we know what this guy provides. Solid, yet streaky offense, and mediocre defense. Make him foul a few pitches off, then throw an outside slider. Works every time.

Outfielders
Very early in spring training, Carlos Beltran volunteered to move to right field from center. That should have been a warning sign that his surgically-"repaired" knees were not right. He only played in two major league spring training games and he certainly isn't well enough to play every day. But this is his contract year, so he has to be motivated for one big season. He can still mash the ball, the question is can his legs hold up?
As the news came early this week that Beltran would be ready for Opening Day, the same day, Jason Bay felt a tweak in his ribcage and has been put on the DL. After a terrible first half of 2010 and a concussion terminating his season early, I really believed Bay needed a fast start to get the fans behind him. With this injury, this could derail his progress.
Angel Pagan emerged as a true bright spot last season. He never got injured and showed almost no signs of the fundamental errors that seemed to plague his career for ages. His speed and knack for key hits make him an ideal center fielder for this team. I do question Collins hitting him fifth, he should bat second, Bay or no Bay.

Bench
Two years ago, Mets fans were insisting Daniel Murphy had to start. And he does possess a solid major-league bat. The problem is he simply cannot play defense. His best positions are first and third base and those will be occupied for at least five years. I like him as a lefty bat off the bench. How sad it is it that in 2009, his 12 home runs led the Mets?
Chin-Lung Hu is not much more than a defensive replacement. Something tells me we will see more of him starting than we will want to. That could come from Eamus not playing well or Reyes getting traded/injured.
I was thrilled when Alderson signed Scott Hairston as a free agent. And he has batted .345 with five home runs in the spring. I think he will emerge as a pretty key part of this team.
How many times did Mets fans see Willie Harris kill them, whether it was a stolen base or more likely, a huge catch. And Omar Minaya constantly refused to sign him. Looking at his spring stats, the three homers aside, I like that he took 12 walks and has an OBP of almost .400.
Lucas Duda should be starting the second and third games in Miami. He is likely only around until Bay returns. He has a lot of raw power, but it seemingly took him 25 AB's to get his first base hit last season. I see him as a Wily Mo Pena or Craig Brazell, a career Triple-A slugger who likely will not hit well enough against major-league hurlers.

Philadelphia has a lot of injury issues right now with Brown, Utley, and Lidge all out. And Rollins and Ibanez are quickly aging. But they still boast four aces. And everyone seems to be licking Atlanta's boots. Let them. I absolutely don't see the Mets making the playoffs but I can see them hanging in the race for the first half like they did last year. But even if that happens, there is this black cloud hanging, that Alderson could trade Reyes if he concludes he won't be able to re-sign the team's spark, soul, and energy. Since there are so many question marks, and only so many can go the right way, I will say the Mets win 79 games and finish 4th in the NL East.

Mets season preview-Part 1

This offseason has been one of doubt, turmoil, and pessimism for all of us who love the New York Mets. The Wilpons may owe 1 billion dollars due to the Bernie Madoff fraud, leaving the team with almost no money to make any moves. The biggest players the Mets acquired were probably Chris Young, Willie Harris, and Scott Hairston. And with the team's level of play continuing to deteriorate over the last three years, the fans have spoken by choosing to stay away from CitiField. As of today, the Mets have sold just 600,000 tickets.

However, they have an experienced new GM in Sandy Alderson who hired the fiery Terry Collins as the team's new manager. Collins has not managed since 2002, but I think his aggressive temperament will be a welcome change from Art Howe, Willie Randolph, and Jerry Manuel, all of whom displayed passive personalities.

Starting pitching
The biggest blow is Johan Santana rehabbing from a torn capsule in his shoulder. He is not expected to return to the Mets until July and in all fairness, this is such a unique injury that I would not be surprised to see him not take the mound once this year if the Mets happen to fall out of the race early on.
So Mike Pelfrey has been appointed the No. 1 starter, by default. He showed signs of brilliance last season, but went through a few stretches where he looked completely disheveled. He's really more of a No. 3.
Jon Niese is a talented young lefty who could emerge as the team's top pitcher. He did tire in the second half of last season, so I think he will be physically and mentally prepared to start 30 games this year.
R.A. Dickey, what can you say that hasn't already been said? The knuckleballer emerged from obscurity to become a star at 36 years of age. He won't take the league by surprise this year, but with his unique harder knuckler, I think he can improve on his 11 wins from last season.
As for Chris Young, the former All-Star in San Diego, I am very intrigued. He has dealt with a rash of injuries over the last three years, allowing the Mets to sign him for cheap. He pitched to a 1.50 ERA in spring training, so that's very encouraging. I have to wonder how long he will hold up.
And Chris Capuano didn't pitch in 2008 or 2009, but at least he was very solid before that. I don't know what to really expect, but he, like Young, has posted respectable March numbers. Then again, that is merely March.
With Dillon Gee, Pat Misch, and Jenrry Mejia waiting in the minors, this staff is not great, but it is deep. The problem is Florida, Atlanta, and especially Philadelphia all feature at least one legitimate
ace starting pitcher.

Bullpen
Closer Frankie Rodriguez hasn't allowed a run all spring. One catch: he a clause where he will make $17.5 million if he finishes 55 games. Anyone with a brain knows the Mets will do anything to keep him from making that money.
Bobby Parnell will get the first shot at pitching the eighth inning. He has an overpowering fastball, but has never really been able to command a secondary pitch, the slider. If he can do that, the Mets will feature a potent 1-2 punch.
Tim Byrdak replaces Pedro Feliciano as the lefty specialist. He beat out four other guys, let's see how he does against the Ryan Howards, the Jason Heywards, and the Brian McCanns.
Taylor Buchholz could probably challenge Parnell for the setup role if he is fully healthy and commanding that terrific curveball. He has pitched effectively this spring.
Blaine Boyer is an ex-Brave who came to camp with a minor-league deal and won a spot. At 29, he can still throw hard, I can see him grabbing a prominent role.
Pedro Beato, a Brooklyn native, was acquired in the Rule 5 draft from Baltimore. I imagine he'll start out pitching in the 6th and 7th innings in low-pressure spots and that will determine whether he gets more meaningful work or disappears completely.
D.J. Carrasco appears to have the long relief role, but his ERA is over 5 this spring. Not too excited over him, let's see what he does.

I think Jason Isringhausen will definitely see some time if one of the latter three falter. Taylor Tankersley and Mike O'Connor are two lefties who will pitch in Triple-A along with Japanese righty Ryota Igarashi, who I hope to never see anywhere near a Mets uniform ever again. This bullpen could emerge as a great strength for the Mets, it's just that so many of these guys are unknowns.

Free Thursday

So I will be working Saturday morning. And some people seem surprised I chose to take Thursday off instead of Friday. Well I did it for two main reasons. One, it's one less day I have to dress up this week. Two, I far prefer having a break right in the middle of the week as opposed to at the end.

I am going to relish this day. I got to sleep two hours later than I normally would. And I'm very happy to see that my large tax refund has come in from the government. Of course, 3/4 of that goes straight to bills...

Will hang with Dayna and having lunch at Prime, my second time there. Last time, I went with the BLT&A burger, sans the mayo of course. I think this time, it'll be the Drunken Bull Burger, a Kobe patty with crispy prosciutto, sauteed mushrooms, and onions, and bleu cheese (which will be replaced by Swiss cheese) served on a grilled pretzel roll. Maybe a Bananas Foster shake to go with?

The Rangers have won 7 of their last 8 games. I am absolutely thrilled with how this team is playing. And they won their last two games without Marc Staal! But Marian Gaborik is scoring goals, Henrik Lundqvist's level of goaltending has continued to get better (he has recorded a league-high 10 shutouts), and that line of Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, and Artem Anisimov is playing so cohesively, even better than they did at the start of the season.

In all likelihood, they will play Washington or Philadelphia in the first round, with an outside chance of Boston if they can pass Montreal and grab sixth place. I think I will take my chances with Washington, a team that never plays well when the pressure is high, whose goaltending is still questionable, and a team that the Rangers have won 3 of 4 games against this season.

Song pick: "That Loving You Feeling Again" Roy Orbison and Emmylou Harris

CT Word association

Initials given to protect the guilty

ABo-Never a dull moment
AWa-Just one more girl that is leaving over some douche of a guy?
BJe-Heck of a guy. Solid leader, will be a solid father
CHo-Need a break from the video lessons
ESn-Shame you chose to end it
KG-Keep looking, don't get discouraged
JRe-Vitality
JSc-Bright spirit
LRi-Really growing, the Dominican mission trip sounds like it will be incredible
MDe-Both our baseball teams will stink
MRi-What are you thinking about?
NTr-You will be missed

Dorian Gray

I seem to have an affinity for old music, movies, and a lot of historical information. So, I woke up this morning around 7 and after making an egg white omelette, I headed downstairs to the basement. Must have just turned 7:30. So I turned the TV on and started flipping through the dials. On TCM, I saw "The Picture of Dorian Gray."

Now I had not seen this film, but I knew of it. Get Smart had done an episode based on the idea of aging, except Dorian Gray was a lethal paint instead of a man's name.

Gray is a wealthy, young, British aristocrat. While posing for a painting by his friend Basil, Dorian meets Basil's friend Lord Henry Wotton. He is cynical and witty, and explains to a naive Dorian that the only life worth living is one dedicated entirely to pleasure. After Wotton convinces Dorian that youth and beauty will bring him everything he desires, in front of an ancient Egyptian statue, Dorian openly wishes that his portrait could age instead of him.

"If only it was the picture who was to grow old, and I remain young. There's nothing in the world I wouldn't give for that. Yes, I would give even my soul for it."

That final sentence. As time goes on, Dorian notices that while he doesn't age, the photo, which now hangs in his private study, does. Over the years, the painting of the young Dorian had warped into that of a hideous, demon-like creature, to reflect Dorian's sins. I'm not going to summarize the rest of the movie, but I want to point out a few things I realized while watching this movie, and more specifically, the life of Dorian Gray.

1) Dorian became more and more paranoid about his photo being discovered by anyone. He held the only key to the study and anytime one of his servants became suspicious of his youthful appearance, he would fire them.

2) By striving for earthly happiness, Dorian took all his sins upon himself. And as he looked into the picture over 20 years, he was able to see it.

3) I realize more and more how much impact I can have on other people. Dorian's desire for constant pleasure and selfish ambition ultimately resulted in pain, anguish, and even death for him, his friends, and female companions.

This is not exactly a fun movie to watch, but it is a very unique, compelling story and deals with the harsh reality of sin and consequence. And perhaps our culture could learn a little from this movie 66 years after it was made.

After a sad morning, thank you Rangers

I am not one to discuss dating on here, because it usually would get me in trouble. But since the guilty and I have no mutual friends, I'll make an exception.

I met this girl on E-harmony. We went through all the silly communication stages and we started e-mailing for about a week. We had two phone conversations, probably totalling three hours. We laughed a lot, seemed to have a lot of similar interests. We agreed to meet for the first time on Saturday at Tom and Eddie's for lunch.


I was really excited all morning. I just had a very good feeling about how we had been connecting, plus it didn't hurt that I thought she was cute. This is all I need to say about our time together. It was 1:45 when she arrived. I looked at my watch and it's suddenly 5:15. Those 3.5 hours absolutely blazed by. So we walked outside and the snow was falling. We shared a big hug goodbye and went our separate ways. I believe I was courteous and respectful. We seemed to have a great time. I drove away feeling pretty good.

Then this morning, she left for softball spring training in Arizona. So I texted her right before church began, saying have a safe flight, thanks for yesterday, all the nice stuff I figured a considerate guy would do.


After church got out one hour later, a text alert popped up on my Blackberry. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect it to be a Dear John text.

I could barely speak. And I didn't speak for nearly all of Come Thirsty. I may have fought back a tear or two. I know I only knew her for one week, but I really felt there was something there. I have had that gut feeling maybe two other times in my life.

I passed on the Fermi Lab tour and went straight home. I just needed to be alone, was not feeling very social. On the counter, I found the 75 cents in change from Tom and Eddie's. Here's what I have learned about this whole single life thing. The freedom feels great. The isolation stings.

So I arrived home, tried in vain to unclog the shower, and turned on the Rangers-Flyers game from the Garden. Ryan Callahan scores the first of his seven goals inside the first minute and the rout was on. They beat Philly to every loose puck, they hit, they passed, they skated. It was just a tremendous performance and that MSG crowd ate it up! A 7-0 whitewashing of the top-seeded Flyers on home ice. It took five games, but the Rangers finally beat Philly in the 2010-11 season. And memo to the Rangers brass, the NHL, or whoever it has to be: I want the white jerseys worn at home for the rest of the season!

12 days!

So I dropped Mom off at the Westin hotel in Itasca this morning. She has a 12-day bus tour to Palm Springs. This is her first tour since November, so it is overdue for us to spend a little time apart. They are traveling through St. Louis, Amarillo TX (And the Big Texan steakhouse!), Oklahoma City, and Albuquerque before hitting California.

That required waking up at 5 am for a 6:30 dropoff. The office is only a few minutes away, so I arrived at 6:45 with over an hour to go before I could start working. I went down to the cafe and ate some of my banana pudding and slept. I did my 8-5 thing and was happy to find out I will get a nearly $1,000 raise.

I could have stopped for dinner, I was thinking about a sandwich at Potbelly's, but I passed. Instead, I fought off the rain and hit Starbucks for a chai tea. Group was very mixed. Why that one person has a problem with me, I don't understand.

After so much time out of the house, 14 hours to be exact, I went home. I wanted to stop by Wheaton Academy to check out the Warriors and their shot at winning a regional title, but I was just gassed. They won anyway! Finally, a title of some sort for that program. Now they play Crane, who the Trib ranked as No. 19 in Chicagoland. Sounds like quite the challenge. But it's time for WA to to do something big in the IHSA playoffs.

Other thoughts:

1) I am so excited to meet someone tomorrow. I really think there might be something here. Really, I do.

2) Four weeks till the Mets open up! Despite the likely mediocre season that will unfold, I am really starting to get excited. Why oh why?

3) Wow, the Rangers won a game. Yippee. Beat Philadelphia for the first time on Sunday and I will be impressed. Ottawa is putrid anyway.

4) Banana pudding always gets the love.

5) Tied to the whipping post! Thank you Allman Brothers Band!

And So It Goes (not a happy rant)

And so will you soon I suppose.

KP's photo is up. Some red-headed douche got selected. I mean, that is pathetic.

2 close casual friends with me, 1 elevated existence, and Jack and Danny seem to pop every now and then.

And SP, 43 mutuals. E (minus one bottom line) off. Your loss, not mine. You wouldn't know a geunine man if he looked you in the eye and screamed it and waved a banner hanging off a damn helicopter saying "I AM GENUINE!"

The other SP, formerly of Geneva, LIAR! "I'm with him, I'm not, I'm breaking up, oh, I'm not sure right now..." Forget you, if I may keep it clean! I wish Sam Kinison was still alive to rip you a new one on the phone in front of 20,000 people!

Mr. Murphy, your thoughts???

"Let me hear the men clap that are loyal to their women. Truthfully. Stop. You lyin' motherf***ers, stop. Stop, stop, stop. Kiss my ass. There ain't no such thing as a loyal man. You lyin' motherf***ers, stop it. The only reason you clapped is because your woman sitting next to you right now. When I asked that question, she looked at you like..." "You gonna put your hands togetha?"

"No loyal men. All men f*** other women. We are low by nature and have to do it. We are men. All men do it. We have to do it. We are men. It is a man thing. Men must conquer and find as much as they can get. Do not think for two seconds you're the only one your man is f***in'! He is a man and has to conquer women. I see a lot of women sitting out there going 'Not my man.' Yes your man too! Your man too! If he not here with you tonight, he f*** in somebody!"

"All women have skeletons in their closets. Some of the women got cemeteries in their closet. You open the door and ravens and shit fly out!"

Thank you Eddie!

I make this trip once every couple years. Went Fishing, passed by Church, stopped by the Butcher, and passed through the Hills. No vacancies. I think Jack just came back and he needs attention. I'll meet that request.

Till Saturday...

Behind the back

Billy Crystal's character in "When Harry Met Sally" was absolutely right. I realize more and more how men and women cannot be friends. The sex factor, whether it happens or not, is indeed always going to get in the way. I figured that one out today.

Even if the sex doesn't come into play, all it takes is one person finding a relationship. Just like that, the friendship dies. Specifically, if it's the woman who finds someone. She finds a guy and all of a sudden, she can't have a conversation with any other guy in her spare time. Even a conversation with a guy at work becomes awkward. It's like the guy has surveillance on her 24/7. If it's the guy who gets into the relationship, we don't give a shit. We'll keep talking with every girl we know, hell, we might even try to do it more often just to appease our own egos.

I was always the setup guy for marriage. There are at least four, possibly five, women who I went out with at least once and they married the next guy they dated. Now, in a span of two days, two women who I hung out with on a semi-regular basis suddenly find themselves in relationships! What that means for me, I have no idea. It is somewhat amusing.

But whatever. There is a shot. I really hope tomorrow works. For all my bravado and whatever confidence I feel like I have discovered in the last couple of months, I am a bit nervous. I hope she likes me.

Brief moment of downtime

1. We have yet more snow on the ground! I mean, it is just ridiculous. It may still be February, but we have really seen enough. I'm ready for some upper 40's for a change.

2. Made quite a few purchases this weekend. Brought a hi-def webcam at Target for just 30 bucks, I think it's a pretty good deal. I like Logitech products, they seem pretty reliable and easy to use. Come our next Skype chat, I hope Miss Nona likes looking at me.

3. Went to see "The Grace Card" last night, a movie that has received very little promotion, probably due to the Christian nature of it. But as a film, I thought it was a compelling story and the actors were pretty solid. I'm sure most non-Christians who see it will sneer at the spiritual message, but that's their deal. I think it is a solid pick to see. I do wonder why the women get all the clever lines to say and the guys are mainly jerks. Maybe that's just the way the world is!

4. After Dec headed home, Jacquie and I grabbed dinner at Wok n' Fire. Thank you St. Charles for 25 percent off. We started with some coconut shrimp with an orange-chili marmalade type of sauce. Five skewers of golden shrimp came out stacked high surrounding, the ramekin of sauce. Great crunch to the shrimp, but it was just a standard coconut shrimp with a little curry for kicks. The sauce made it good though. Jacqui had some kind of curry bowl and I went with Bangkok garlic pepper stir-fry with steak and fried rice. I enjoyed it a lot, but I think I would prefer the Szechwan.

5. I slept till 8:30 this morning, knowing I have a long night in front of me. I grabbed a workout, my second to last at South Barrington Club. I went over to Bally's and between the concrete floor and dirty locker room, I knew I wasn't joining. So I hit Xsport fitness in South Barrington and I liked the facilities a lot. They had every machine I would want, plus a few things I had never seen before. Ab machines and some sort of bell I can't recall the name of. The locker room was nice, but I think it's lame they can't have soap or deodorant. After a lot of hesitating, I signed up for 30 days for 20 bucks. In all fairness, I would have hesitated anywhere. When you've paid nothing for your gym membership for four years, the thought of spending money at a gym makes your palms sweat just a little. But the general manager is cute and is from Geneva. That was probably my deciding factor...No, the bottom line is I get what I pay for at a gym. I think if I have to spend ten extra dollars a month, for a better workout, it is worth it.

6. Got home and found out the Rangers traded for defenseman Bryan McCabe. All they gave up was a third-round draft pick and Tim Kennedy, who never even sniffed the big club. I think for the rest of the year, it is an excellent pick up. A booming shot, size, a good hitter, and a veteran presence on a young defense, I think the Rangers are a more formidable team as the NHL season winds down. Certainly, I give them a better chance to win a round in the playoffs.

7. The Mets lose yet again to Atlanta. Nice to see they are already in mid-season form.

8. The Knicks sucked last night. How can they lose twice in one season to the Cleveland Cavaliers? They let other teams score more frequently than Paris Hilton on a weekend binge. Let the Carmelo bust talks begin...

9. After a year of searching for the file, I was finally able to download the American Wolves entrance theme music. Every time I hear it, I can't help but bop my head up and down, walk a little faster, and scowl. It so pumps me up!

10. Leaving for Chicago Ridge in just one hour. Ring of Honor's 9th Anniversary show. Gonna be awesome!

Can creativity emerge from boredom?

Not totally sure if it can, but I'll take my chances that something will come from this post.

1) This week at work was one of the more challenging ones I have faced in some time. It wasn't one huge thing, it was all these little issues that kept popping up. It felt like a bunch of little gnats gnawing away at my flesh. Monitor resolution, computer viruses, sudden trainings, webex seminars, the reports taking a long time to load, finding out of my best friends is leaving the team. Just a lot of stuff that wasn't desirable.

2) Good to see Amber for the first time in almost 18 months. I waited for 30 minutes at CPK as she finished up work. The conversation started slow, but got better as the night went on. And I must say...the new spinach/artichoke pizza is a stellar addition to the menu.

3) Found a spot in a spot on Friday afternoon. I hope it's not a big deal.

4) I am so ready for Ring of Honor's 9th Anniversary show next Saturday night. I have been feeling bothered that this show doesn't seem to be getting promoted very well. But announcer Dave Prazak was just interviewed on Jonathan Hood's radio show on ESPN 1000 AM. That is nothing short of awesome. I would love to see 1,000 people for this internet PPV show.

5) So Borders and Giordano's have both filed for bankruptcy. Both these places are in the same strip mall that is five minutes from my house. And across from those stores is the Charlestowne Mall, which houses the Sears that will be going out of business this spring. Yep, I would say the St. Charles economy is not exactly thriving right now.

6) But that economy may get some help this week. Restaurant Week runs from Wednesday though Sunday. 25 percent off 30 restaurants. I'm not sure where I will go, but I would like to try a new spot. Maybe a Thai place...

7) Thank you Mom for that 25 dollar gift card to Jiffy Lube. Between my oil change, air filter, and new wipers, my total bill would have exceeded 100 bucks. But hey! I still get my coupon for my free minnow car wash at Jaws, saving me three dollars.

8) I saw True Grit. It's not often we see Westerns made nowadays. All in all, I thought it was good. Hailee Steinfeld did a tremendous job as the young girl, hell-bent on avenging her father's murder. As for Jeff Bridges, it feels like his character in Crazy Heart just changed jobs from musician to sheriff. The setting was fine, the story compelled me, the music was ok. I would recommend it.

9) My free South Barrington Club gym membership has nine days remaining on it. Still wagering what my best option is going forward...

10) I cannot keep watching these hour-long hot dog specials. I'm leaving for Scooby's in a few minutes!

Reminisicing tonight

I had to post this whole song with Valentine's Day. Thank you Bill LaBounty and Beckie Foster for writing it and thank you Steve Wariner for recording it.

The Weekend

Couple of days isn't a very long time
Why can't I just walk away, I used to be good at goodbyes...
Out on the water...under the stars...
I let the moonlight play a trick on my heart

You had some fun for the weekend
But I'll be in love for the rest of my life
You took me out to the deep end
And I fell right over I didn't think twice
I finally got something worth keeping
And if I can't have you tonight....
At least I had the weekend

The radio plays the sound of the waves rolling in
the smell of the night sure can get under your skin
Just for a moment...I held you too close
Now I'm all out of time and I don't want to let go

How much can happen in a night or two?
I guess its all depending on your point of view....

You had some fun for the weekend girl
But I'll be in love for the rest of my life
You took me out to the deep end
And I fell right over I didn't think twice
Finally got something worth keeping
And if I can't have you tonight
At least I had the weekend...